An Appointment / Smoking Cessation DR.

Hi I just made an appointment with my Smoking Cessation Doctor. I haven't seen him in a while. But I'll see him again on the 25th of this month. Then I can find out If I can try Chantix or some other medication to help me with my Quit.

No Smoking Cessation Dr near me either but EX was enough...well that and progressive COPD acted as a wake up call for me. I did all of the recommended reading, made a plan, made a commitment, and EVENTUALLY stuck to it...I came here every morning and every evening and I read blogs, commented, paid attention to what was working for other people, and I asked for advice and LISTENED when it was given. My quit was "cold turkey" or as some call it...A Smart Turkey I really had no choice...quit or die. Fact is, I may still die of a smoking related illness, it is very likely BUT, I am not going to FEED it any more.

Do let us know if there is anything we can do to help and stay close to the site...the support from the people here is amazing and endless.

While you wait for the 25th, there is a ton of preparation and planning work you can do. I bet they will be REALLY impressed with the knowledge you will bring to the discussion!

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. As well, you should also do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site.

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort. I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

You need to distract yourself through any craves. You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game. Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time. You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits. Get busy! Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?" Then DO it. You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Welcome to the community, the more help you can get the better. I used patches for 2 weeks and a vaping device, decreasing the levels of Nicotine. Then on day 41 I came here and shortly after that I quit vaping too. This community taught me more thank I could hope for, and helped me to be where I am today.